1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image sensing apparatus that clips a portion of an image obtained by image sensing to produce a clipped image.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, image sensing apparatuses, such as a digital still camera and a digital video camera, that sense an image with an image sensor such as a CCD (charge coupled device) or a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) sensor have been widely used. Among such image sensing apparatuses are ones that clip a predetermined region of an image obtained by image sensing to obtain an image having a desired composition.
Such clipping processing helps facilitate image sensing. Specifically, in such clipping processing, for example, a user is allowed to shoot an image of a wide angle of view, and the clipping processing is performed on the obtained image of a wide angle of view such that a region is clipped including a subject (hereinafter, “main subject”) that the user especially wishes to shoot. Such processing eliminates the need for the user to concentrate on following the main subject to obtain an image of a composition including the main subject. That is, the user has only to simply point the image sensing apparatus at the main subject.
Inconveniently, however, if the main subject is, or is almost, out of the image of a wide angle of view, it is difficult to obtain an image having a desired composition, no matter what clipping processing may be performed. This problem is liable to arise, for example, in zooming in on a main subject, or in shooting a main subject that is actively moving around.
Note that the problem of a blurred image arises if extreme zoom-out is performed to prevent the main subject from going out of, or, from almost going out of, the image of a wide angle of view. In particular, since correction of zoom-out (such as image enlargement by interpolation processing, etc. after clipping) in image processing is limited in effect, a clipped image is blurred to no small extent.